Praeludium and Allegro
by Dante Kreisler
Summary: I'm an ordinary civilian of Konoha except with the fact that I'm living a second life. I also know that there's a story happening in this world so I'm trying to avoid shinobi, but this universe doesn't want to keep it that way. I'm freaking out a little. Self-Insert OC. Eventual romance.
1. CH 1 - Praeludium

My name is Nobuyuki Haruka. My parents were Nobuyuki Ryouichi and Natsumi. I was born on August 10th at Konoha Hospital, three years before the start of the Third Shinobi World War. My parents looked after me carefully since I was their first child together. They were both very sweet and I reveled in the attention and care they gave me as I grew up.

In my other life, I hadn't received that kind of focus as a child.

_Oh, right_. This isn't my first time living.

I try not thinking about it too much, but I was...reincarnated? No, reincarnate doesn't seem like the right word for it. Rebirth? Resurrection? Transmigration? Metempsychosis? All of those words put in the assumption that it's an original being born again as the same person. But I'm not the same person as my previous life. I found that I had a really hard time coming up with a reasonable explanation for my existence. Was I _meant_ to do something? Isn't my birth a mistake? The question I dreaded most is _what if I'm actually just in possession of this body that's not mine? _I hated the thought of unintentionally stealing a life.

I struggled with these worries as I grew up and kept all of these thoughts in silence. Instead of babbling I nodded my head for yes and shook for no because I didn't trust myself with words. My parents were often worried about my quiet disposition as a baby and toddler, but they took it astride. I didn't move around much since I'd constantly question my existence every moment of the day and night while sitting frozen-stiff. I cried on nights when the overflowing feelings of confusion suffocated me. At some point as a toddler I grew to full-heartedly love Nobuyuki Ryouichi and Natsumi like real parents when it became clear they loved me unconditionally.

By the time I was about two years old, I resolved to simply 'go with the flow'. I couldn't change anything about this 'rebirth'. If anything, I'll just use this life to an even better extent. In my past life, I didn't make it past seventeen years. I was a Korean-American and had just graduated from high school when I died. I really did not expect my death at all. It was a complete accident. I knew that life would be full of surprises, but really? _Really?_ Seventeen isn't the ideal age for death.

And so for some reason the universe has decided to use me as a joke and I got a second chance at life. Maybe the universe was bored..yeah, that was probably it. The universe was bored and wanted to use me as a reality show.


	2. CH 2 - Toddler

Hi! Thank you so much for going on to my second chapter! After reading I'd love it if you could leave comments, suggestions, critiques, and/or thoughts of what it is so far. I hope that you're enjoying the story!

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I picked up a new language I later recognized as Japanese. I was excited to learn the new language and eagerly listened for any kind of dialogue between my parents. The learning process was surprisingly...easy. I thought that I'd be struggling to learn it, but I think the constant exposure to the language definitely helped. Although I absorbed words well, I didn't speak much. I was overtaken with the fear of saying something that would have been pegged as weird or genius. When I did talk, I spoke slowly because I had to double-check my words and I didn't want to mispronounce anything. My parents would squeal every time I made a sound. My first giggle had been when my dad yelled in victory after hearing my first word: oto. "Oto" meaning "dad" in Japanese. Occasionally I'd blabber a bit just to indulge mom and dad when they looked like they were having a long day.

I also made the important decision to remember English. I wanted to retain as much as I could from my past life because I didn't want to forget. I didn't want to forget about my old family, my friends, the sad and happy memories, or everything I've experienced.

And so I would lay for hours just sifting through my old memories until I'd get mentally exhausted. Then I would sleep, wake up, and eat. After eating I would go back to thinking and the pattern would continue. Other than the routine being monotonous everyday, I enjoyed the normalcy and was content with the peaceful cycle.

The only thing that constantly disrupted the harmony of this cycle was breast-feeding. Ugh, don't even make me get started on that.

By the time I turned three I had full mobility of my body. My hand-eye coordination and footwork weren't perfect, but it was much better than having nonexistent muscles. Being unable to lift my head had been one of the most frustrating things as a baby. I was really excited when I learned how to walk (again). This was because in my past life I unfortunately had torn the ACL in my left knee when I was fifteen. Even though there was a surgery to repair the torn ligament, the knee didn't have the same mobility as it once had. In this new body I had complete limbs, undamaged and perfectly new. I was already itching to break into a full sprint. I kept falling on my face every time I tried though. I could only waddle at a fast pace with my two short legs. Although I was clearly not normal in the head, I wasn't too worried about the pace of my physical developments. I think my parents noticed that I was pretty perceptive from the way I watched them, but other than that, I didn't give away anything that came off as unnatural.

Speaking of unnatural, I've had something unnatural within my body. The feeling wasn't solid and more like a fuzzy mist. If I tried, I could detect it all coming from my stomach. On certain days it would bother me. It would reach my chest and smother me, forcing me to nearly gasp for air. On other days it would turn into a river, energizing me so I couldn't stay still. Sometimes the mist was actually fun to play with. Once I was able to detect it within myself unconsciously, I tried to control its currents, letting it flow from my hands to my feet.

I had even more fun when I tried expanding the mist. I played a game where I'd close my eyes, increase the area I cover with my mist and sense the presence of my parents.

Ah, right, my parents. My father, Nobuyuki Ryouichi, is some sort of a businessman or a merchant. He's out of the house on regular times, but has been home often enough that I could tell he balances family and work well. He's got green eyes and dark brown hair with a good-natured voice. My mother is Nobuyuki Natsumi and she's beautiful with her matching light brown eyes and long, straight hair. Natsumi runs a bakery located right below where we live. Judging from the distance of the noise from the daily market, I'd safely assumed that our apartment wasn't too far from the main street where all the sellers and food venders were situated. We get occasional visits from my parents' friends. I couldn't help but observe that a lot of my mom's friends had similar characteristics: light brown to pale blond long hair, and light colored eyes of all shades. These visitors even gave us similar congratulatory gifts: flowers.

I was half-snoozing in a room next to the kitchen with the dining table when a certain visitor came. I didn't bother paying attention to the conversation happening at the table where my parents and the guest sat. Normally there'd be the usual amiable chatting, but instead I started hearing snippets of _war_ and _might get involved._ At first I was thinking, a world war? World War l? or WWll? Was it more recent or ancient? Sino-Japanese War? Wait, was I even in Japan?

I mulled over my confusion when I heard The Word. _Shinobi_.

I paused from thinking and focused all my attention to my parents.

They said it again.

_Shinobi. Hidden Villages are involved. Might be a third shinobi war._

I slowly turned in my sleeping spot to face the direction the voices were coming from, forced my eyes open and squinted across the room at the guest sitting at the dining table to see his profile clearly. I immediately saw the glinting metal headband covering a head of blond hair that was pulled back into high ponytail. The man had blue-green eyes and a serious expression on his gentle face as he continued talking about a war to my parents.

Holy righteous fu-

I didn't know any other person _or character_ other than _Yamanaka Inoichi_ with that exact appearance. At this point I was motionless from where I lay and slid my eyes away from the man's face and redirected them to my tiny fisted hands before me.

Shinobi_. Ninjas. __**Naruto.**_

Again, _holy. righteous. f-_

I struggled between keeping calm and dropping the f-bomb

heh that rhymed.

What was _Yamanaka Inoichi_ doing at my parents' dining table? Although my mind was whirring in chaos, I kept my ears open to the discussion between the adults.

My mother sounded pretty worried.

"What are the chances of Konoha getting into the war?"

Ah, crap. _Konoha. I'm in freaking Konoha. Great. Oh and there's a war coming up. Effing fantastic. _

"At this rate I'm afraid we'll be forced into full action. I don't think it'll be long until we send our first team out purely for frontline purposes."

_Third Shinobi World War. Fourth Hokage. The Flash. Kakashi. Kannabi Bridge. Rin. Obito. Oh No. __**OH CRAP. OBITO.**_

I don't remember much after hearing that conversation because I promptly blacked out.

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Leave a review? Thanks!


	3. CH 3 - War and News

This one is a bit longer than the second chapter. Things will pick up starting the fourth chapter! Thanks again for reading!

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I spent the next day in a daze.

I got some answers when I asked my mom while she was cooking in the kitchen about Yamanaka Inoichi in the morning.

"The man who came yesterday? He's an important man in mommy's clan."

That answer wasn't specific enough so I scrunched my face and asked again.

"Clan? Is he the boss?"

She chuckled a little. "No, he's not the boss, but he will be soon. His name is Inoichi Yamanaka. Your grandmother married a shinobi from the Yamanaka Clan, so I'm also a part of that big family. Inoichi-san is a friend of ours."

Huh. So my mom's a branch civilian? That explains her ties with Inoichi. Guess he's not clan head yet and will be soon. I'm predicting that'll happen after the war.

I wanted to know more about the war so I continued asking questions.

"Mom? Will war happen?"

For her credit, Natsumi only paused a little in the middle of dicing vegetables before answering, probably because she wanted to respond carefully. She didn't bother wondering how her just-turned-three-year old daughter already knew what war was because she and her husband had read me long novels and shinobi history for bedtime stories. Some of those readings had elements most kids wouldn't know about until later in their lives. My parents even read baking and cooking recipe books from a shelf in the bakery below to help me fall asleep. I actually really enjoyed hearing those.

After a few seconds, my mom cleaned her hands, turned around and kneeled to meet my eye level. She held me close and firmly said, "It isn't going to happen yet, but even if it does, you know you're safe in Konoha right?" She wanted to reassure me that I wouldn't be in danger.

I smiled at her worry, "Yeah, what about mom and dad?"

Mom smiled back and said, "We'll be safe too."

A week after that conversation dad came home from work at the usual time looking more tired and aged than before. After a quiet dinner he huddled us together in the living room. To my surprise my dad not only talked directly to my mom, but also gave me eye-contact, fully expecting me to listen. Who includes his three-year-old daughter in a serious family discussion? But I didn't mind, this just meant I wouldn't have to eavesdrop. I don't like eavesdropping.

"It's official", he spoke in a tight voice. He didn't even try to ease us into the information. "Konoha will be entering a third war with Iwa, and the other hidden villages Kumo, Kusa, and Suna are involved. The Hokage will be making the official announcement tomorrow. There's also going to be rules put up for all civilians to follow and we're expected to help with the war effort."

My mom's face was packed with worry. "What do they expect us to do?"

"For my case, they want us business workers to take a couple of hours every week doing business for getting things for shinobi. Mainly negotiating stocks and prices for weapons, shinobi wear, first aid supplies, anything that the shinobi need. We're expected to be the shinobi's businessmen basically."

"And my bakery?"

"Businesses related to food have to donate rations. If the food you sell aren't ideal for battlegrounds, then raw ingredients have to be sent instead to the shinobi manufacturing group where they'll be used to make ration bars."

There was some silence as my mom quietly accepted this without a word. I broke the stillness.

"What will happen to us?" My little voice sounded really innocent.

My dad turned to me and boldly stated, "We will be safe in Konoha. But Haruka, you must not go outside without one of us. When you're outside you have to be with an adult at least."

I gulped and nodded. War had never directly impacted me in my former life and I wasn't anticipating the experience.

My dad's face softened and then enveloped my mom and I in a hug.

"Haru, don't worry too much all right? Just know that we love you and want to keep you safe." I took his words in and nodded my head, smiling a little.

After a few seconds of holding on to each other, my mom pulled away and then addressed me in a tentative tone.

"Haru? We...have something we wanted to tell you." My parents held hands and faced me. I suddenly started internally panicking.

_Why do they look scared? Wait. Do they know something's wrong with me? Oh crap, I'm adopted aren't I? They're going to tell me that I'm weird and that I'll be sent back to whatever forsaken place I came from._

"What do you feel about having a younger sibling?"

My entire body froze. _Oh. Did not expect that_.

My parents must have taken this as a bad sign because my mom and dad began overlapping each other in the hopes of cheering me up at the prospect of a sibling.

"Don't worry, Haru-"

"You're still daddy's special girl and I'll-"

"No, no Haru, daddy's mistaken. You're mommy's girl right? As I was saying, you don't have to worry because I love y-"

"I love y-"

"_We_ love you, Haru". My mother interjected. Dad glared at her with amused irritation and mom pretended not to notice. I couldn't help but giggle aloud. My parents are so adorable. I was touched at how much they were worried about my reaction to having a new sibling.

I finally answered them after their little row. "I want a brother. A younger brother." They looked at me happily surprised and pleased. For selfish reasons I mischievously added, "Can I have two brothers?" It was hilarious how both of my parents blushed. My mom started sputtering. Dad grinned roguishly and laughed.

"If that's what you want! Two younger brothers it is!" And then mom smacked dad on the arm while trying to cool her face with the colder side of her hands. How cute.

Ugh, I'm fangirling over my parents.

Honestly curious, mom asked me, "Haru, why two younger brothers?"

"They're cute", I immediately replied. I had two younger brothers in my past life. Even though my soon-to-be sibling won't replace them, I still wanted a younger brother. I don't think I could handle being an only child. Besides, it's true. Younger siblings are cute. They'll be brats, but in the end, they always go to the eldest for help.

My dad frowned and leaned forward, "Haru, you're barely three. How do you know what 'cute' is?"

"Mom and dad call me cute all the time."

"Touché".

We spent the rest of the evening together in the living room chatting as a family, feeling the lift of the oppressive atmosphere slightly.

The rest of the month was spent getting used to the changes in our daily lives. Dad went out for work like normal, but came home more and more stressed and dejected. He always brought home updates on the war. Mom joined up with the other bakers in the area to send rations as a group since their own individual bakeries can't give much by themselves. Buying things got a little harder every other week. While food wasn't scarce, there wasn't much of a variety. Our family never starved, but it wasn't like we could snack on whatever, whenever we wanted. I didn't mind that. I was just grateful that we were far away from the actual fighting. We couldn't let anything go to waste and were careful to keep things in good conditions to last a long time. My parents soon taught me the invasion drill, if Konoha was ever attacked. I'll admit, I thought about that plan all the time whenever I saw something suspicious outside. I rarely go outside now. The only time I ever left the apartment was when mom or dad were out. Then either mom would take me with her while she's taking care of her affairs or they'll leave me with a young-ish grandma next door. I spent most of my time reading books. After reading everything in the apartment, dad started getting me one big book for every month. I protested because I knew that all genres of books were hard to find during war and the money could be saved instead, but dad just winked at me and said,

"Who said I was buying them for you? For all you know I could be wanting to read them myself!" Mom only encouraged dad to buy more advanced books for me. My parents got whatever reading material they could find when it became clear that I absorbed the contents like a sponge. Then the war took up most of the available paper to use for scrolls, bomb tags, etc. war purposes. So instead of buying, my parents talked to neighbors and friends about borrowing books. The subjects ranged from simple children stories to first aid procedures. One of them was even an outdated bingo book.

If I wasn't reading I was thinking. Thinking mainly along the lines of about _what I was going to do in the world of Naruto_. That would explain the fuzzy energy coming from my stomach, chakra. At first I was relieved that I wasn't born directly in a family full of shinobi. That meant I would probably be not encountering most the cast involved in the storyline since almost all of those people were shinobi. The exception would be Inoichi Yamanaka since he's a close friend of my parents. I mused briefly if I'd be babysitting his daughter, Ino, in the future.

_No, Haru. Don't involve yourself._

The problem is that I know everything. And I mean _**everything**__. _ From the beginning to the complete actual ending Kishimoto had written and drawn out. I am not messing with that ending, much less with the entire plot.

So plain and simple: stay out of shinobi's way.

With that in mind I continued my daily life schedule of reading, helping my mom with the bakery, talking about books with my dad, and enjoying the time shared with both of my parents. The heavy mood weighed down the village outside of our apartment. The daily chatter from the marketplace would die out earlier in the day since everyone would return home as soon as possible. Occasionally, depressing news hit the village. The civilians never stopped helping out. Everyday seemed to drag a bit and life was...gray. Nothing really changed day to day. Suspense only mounted whenever a team of ninja from the battlefield returned to the village.

It wasn't until the spring after I turned three when something happened: school.

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Comments? Suggestions? Thank you!


	4. CH 4 - School and Encounters

Each chapter is getting longer than the previous. Phew. I hope you enjoy!

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I stared at my reflection. I was in the middle of getting ready for my first day of school. The tiny girl in the mirror had large dark brown eyes and even darker brown hair. I've always admired my dad's green eyes and my mom's shade of hair, but the familiar earth colors made me feel comfortable, as if I'm not wearing another body. I wore simple black shorts and a royal blue long sleeve shirt. My mom wanted to dress me up in a girlier style with lighter tones, but with the war, clothes of specific preference were hard to come by. Before I headed to the kitchen for breakfast I glanced at myself once more.

I had to agree with my parents. I _am_ cute. But I think all chubby-faced kids are obligated to be cute anyway.

As I ate, I considered my plan of action for school.

The education system had announced that they'll be opening an institution for children ages four to six. It's supposed to give us a head start on education. They wanted _all_ kids in that age interval to come. Dad said that this is because of the war that they're pushing kids to grow faster to become a smarter generation. Apparently Konoha wants to look better in front of the other hidden villages. I thought that this entire education thing was a bit too much for keeping up pride, but I went with it. School around here begins in the spring. I was born in the fall so I'm younger than everyone else by almost a year. I could have waited another year, but I was getting insanely bored being cooped up in the apartment. When my parents left the choice to me, I decided that I wanted to go.

And so now here I am, holding my dad's hand and walking up to one of the many desks out in front of a building where a number of other families were lined up. The building was a block away from the Academy, rebuilt, and cleaned up for the sake of this new institution. My dad signed us in and then an assistant directed us to my classroom. Butterflies grew my stomach when I saw all the other kids running around inside. Dad stopped in front of the entrance of my classroom and gave me hug.

"Alright, Haru. Make some good friends, listen in class, and be respectful, okay? You have your lunch and everything with you?"

I nodded my head and pointed at my back where my backpack hung on my shoulders holding my lunch, pencils, and notebooks.

"Mom will be outside to pick you up when school ends. Relax! You'll have tons of fun! I'll ask you about your first day here when I get back from work. I'll see you then." And with that, he ruffled my hair and proceeded to exit the building. I watched his retreating back for an extra second, took a deep breath, and headed into the craze.

I couldn't help but be startled by the racket all the kids were making. Some were sobbing, a few were sitting, a number were running around. But all roughly twenty-five of them were _loud._ I walked in and took a vacant spot towards the back. The room was fairly simple; it had rows of desks, two chairs each, and a chalkboard and a teacher's table at the front. I settled myself, taking in the sight of all the tiny children in front of me, not at all willing to participate in the nonsense. After about five minutes, a young woman in her early twenties entered the room. The chatter died instantly.

_Finally_. I breathed out a sigh. My head was starting to hurt from the noise and my stomach wasn't letting go of the butterflies yet either.

"Hello, my name is Aki Hitomi, but you may call me Hitomi-sensei. I will be your teacher for the rest of this year." After this introduction she briefly went on welcoming us to the institution, what we'll be learning, explaining rules and behavioral conducts, and what's expected from us. I thought she was doing well for keeping the attention of all the four-year-olds in the the classroom. After her talk, Hitomi-sensei rearranged where we sat by calling out names in last name alphabetical order and gesturing at seats one-by-one. To my surprise, I heard an Aburame from the get-go. The girl had dark, straight hair and wore a high-collared jacket. From where I sat, I couldn't see if she had shades on.

_It's not like all clan members become shinobi anyway. Mom is proof of that. I wonder if there are other clan kids here._ I glanced around. I didn't see any obvious distinguishable features like the Hyuga eyes or Uchiha clan symbols. While I waited for my name I heard another clan name.

"Nara Takeshi-"

_Woah, a Nara. Why are these kids even here in the institution? Wouldn't their parents rather send them to the Academy? Wouldn't it be better to split clan kids and civilian kids? It's obvious that some would think that this is a waste of time and the clans would probably rather-_

"Nobuyuki Haruka?" I widened my eyes and snapped to attention.

"Yes?" I saw Hitomi-sensei pointing at a seat next to a boy with the trademark Nara spiky ponytail-tied hair wearing army-green and black. She quirked an eyebrow at me, indicating her impatience.

"Oh...OH" I paled and walked over to my new seating arrangement. I forced myself not to stare at the kid sitting next to me.

_Don't peek. Don't peek. Don't peek. Don't peek. Don't even get tempted. Ignore him._

"Alright class, this is how you will sit for the remainder of the year. Say hi to the friend sharing your desk."

_Dangit. Fine, introduce yourself and just be an acquaintance. You don't need to pursue any more contact than sharing the desk._

"The friend next to you will be your partner whenever we need to pair up."

_Crap. Can't even get a break._

I eventually turned my head when I felt his eyes shift towards me.

"Hi, I'm Nobuyuki Haruka." _And so it begins_.

Large brown eyes met sharp brown ones. There was a beat of silence.

"I know." The boy doesn't talk. He drawls.

"You going to tell me yours?" I relaxed a little and cracked a grin. I kind of liked his sass.

"You heard the lady." And then he flopped over his side of the desk, fully intending to nap. My interest was sparked. Takeshi's obviously four years old since he's in the same class as me, but his attitude clearly doesn't resemble one.

"Nah, I think your name will be 'boy' for now." My smile widened when he shot a narrowed eye at me above his shoulder and crossed arms. _He's hooked_.

"Are you always this bothersome?" _Ha, there's that word._

"Nope", I replied cheerfully. I could feel the butterflies going away. Talking to this clan kid was fun. I rarely spoke to other kids around my age. Hopefully I'm not causing some sort of cataclysm by interacting with him.

His eyes asked the silent question: _why_.

"I feel like it. You seem fun to mess with." His gaze narrowed even further. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hitomi-sensei looking at our direction. Uh oh, I didn't want Takeshi to get caught.

"You shouldn't sleep on the first day of school", I quietly and gently said to him. He only grunted in response.

"Haruka, this is the second time you have not payed attention to what I was saying. What did you say to bother Nara-san just now?"

I cringed. The teacher's voice was shrill._ There goes karma. Seriously, she called Takeshi in an honorific tone when he's about to nap and accused me of bothering him? Is she blind or something?_

'Nara-san' must have thought something similar because before I could answer the question, Takeshi pulled his head out of his arms and off the desk and spoke directly to Hitomi-sensei.

"I was planning to sleep during class when Haru -

_The kid's already using my nickname_

- kindly advised me not to, in which you obviously assumed that Haru was instead troubling me. Your last name doesn't help much with your sight, intellect, or appearance, does it, Hitomi-sensei?"

_**Yikes**__. That has __**got **__to hurt._

The disdain in his voice was clear, and the uninterested tone with his drawl made the blow even more harsh. Takeshi basically took her last name, tore it to pieces, and threw them back at her. 'Hitomi' in a single kanji means "pupil of the eye". If you take it apart, 'hito' means "wisdom" or "intellect" while 'mi' is beautiful. He just insulted her eyesight, judgement, and looks in one sentence. Frankly, Hitomi-sensei wasn't the epitome of beauty with her oval-shaped glasses, untamed curly black hair, and slightly tacky light blue-colored kimino. She reminded me of that chunin lady who teaches kunoichi classes at the Academy during the canon timeline. All she needed was the red lipstick and a pink kimino.

There was stillness in the air as Hitomi-sensei attempted to regain her ability to speak. Most of the students were confused about what Takeshi had just said. I saw the Aburame girl's eyebrows rising above her visible shades. The fact that he's a freaking four-year-old made the situation more unbearable. Hitomi-sensei's eyes bugged out and her face flashed shades of white to green to red so quickly, it was kind of terrifying. It definitely was _not_ everyday when you get told off like that by a kid. They normally can't even form sentences like that.

"Nara-san", she seemed to choke out. "You will not speak to your teacher that way ever again. I expect you to come to my desk at the end of the day to go over consequences." Takeshi appeared unimpressed.

"You too", she snapped at me. _What?_ And with that, Hitomi-sensei quickly went to the front of the classroom and began the first lesson of the school year. The class broke out of its frigidness and there were sounds of paper and pencils being drawn out. I made eye contact with Takeshi.

_Thanks for sticking up for me_, I mouthed.

_You owe me, _he mouthed back. I beamed. I think I'll take this friendship.

After about two hours of hearing Hitomi-sensei teach basic reading and arithmetic, we heard the bell for lunch time. I avoided peering at the teacher while I got out my lunch.

"You eating with anyone?"I was surprised at the question and shook my head.

"Then let's find a spot outside." I barely grabbed my lunch off the desk before Takeshi dragged me out of the building. We weaved through the throng of screaming children and found a sunny place at a nearby tree trunk nicely sprayed with some shade from the foliage. It was intriguing how he was taking the initiative in this relationship. Weren't Naras lazy when it comes to being to first with action?

_Maybe it's because he's only four_, I contemplated as I opened my lunch bag.

"So…" I started conversationally. "Thanks again for helping me out, although I'm sorry you had to get in trouble". I took out an apple and saw that he was already lying down on the grass, Nara-style.

"Oi, I'm talking to you".

He finally responded, "Wake me up when it's time to go back in".

I was about to huff when he added, "And what're you saying sorry for, you were just being your bothersome self". He couldn't see it, but I smiled broadly.

We stayed like that for the rest of the lunch; I ate my lunch and he snoozed. I actually didn't mind that I had to babysit him. I didn't have to be a loner on my first day, he got his alarm clock. It was a win-win situation. I woke him up five minutes before lunch ended though, because I wondered if he was going to eat anything. He rubbed his face and drowsily eyed the banana I held for him. For a second I thought he wasn't going to take it, but he did and finished it before the bell rang after muttering something I heard as "troublesome".

Hitomi-sensei's lessons for the next two hours were about geography and history. I listened more on the geography section and couldn't help but frown a little when she talked about shinobi history. It was almost like, she was...glorifying Konoha. I mean, I definitely love Konoha since I'm here with my parents, but, since my dad already had taught me some stuff, I would've pegged her lectures as _propaganda_. I sat uncomfortably for the last hour as she described the other villages without the same vigor she had with Konoha. Thankfully classes were over soon enough and I packed my materials into my backpack, ready to leave. Takeshi and I were about to walk out together when we heard someone clearing her throat.

_Dangit, I was hoping she'd forget._

"Nara-san, Haruka. You're forgetting something". We both reluctantly shuffled over in front of Hitomi-sensei's desk. She gave us a quick speech about 'paying attention at all times' and 'proper conduct of a privileged student here at the institution' -_we're privileged?-_. She said she was going to let this one go since she's 'so forgiving'.

_Geez, this woman._

"Oh, and Nara-san. I can tell that you are already advanced for your age, but you must still be respectful of your mentors. They will help you achieve success."

I got the weird feeling that she wanted to be recognized by a clan. Forget that kunoichi teacher, now she sounded like Ebisu-sensei.

Takeshi and I shot nasty glares at the classroom once we were out in the hallway of the building. I saw my mom among the stragglers of parents waiting to pick up their kids.

"Takeshi, see you tomorrow!" I patted him on the shoulder before sprinting (kind of) to my mom's arms. As we left I looked back and saw Takeshi with a man I assume to be his dad going the opposite direction. We caught sight of each other. I waved, he nodded back.

My mom noticed and asked, "You made a friend?" I turned to my mom and held her hand.

"Yep, his name's Takeshi Nara. He's cool." Mom hummed absentmindedly, she probably knew the surname, being a Yamanaka.

"So how was your first day of school? Did you make a good impression on the teacher?"

_Oops. Sorry mom._

"Eh...hehe...about that. I got in trouble". I explained what happened during the stroll back home. School had taken up about five hours, so it was close to one in the afternoon. She wasn't too pleased that I had already gotten in trouble, unintentionally or not, but pacified quickly. Along the way home we stopped by a dango shop because my mom wanted to have some desserts as a treat for the family since I finished my first day of school. Across the street was a ramen stand. I briefly read the title of the restaurant.

_Ohh shi-take mushrooms..._It was Ramen Ichiraku...The small place was filled with people sitting at the counter. Even though the overhead flaps blocked the view of their upper-bodies, I could still see that some of the customers were ninja from the standard dark blue shinobi pants, bandaged ankles to mid-shins, and blue shinobi sandals. As my mom talked to a familiar face, a pair of shinobi got off their seats and lifted the hanging cover over their heads.

"Teuchi! Be prepared for a delux order when we come back!"

"Kushina, people are staring."

I tensed and snapped my head around so fast I felt a crick in my neck.

_Oh God, please no._

I'd recognize those two with their hair anytime, anyplace. My eyes latched on a pair of brightly colored heads. Colors that were of deep tomato-red and bright sun-blond.

_It's...those two...they're...holy cow...why...Look away. Breathe. No biggy. Mommy and daddy of the world's future hero just passing through. You don't know them. You're a stranger. They won't even go near where you are._

"Oh, oh, Minato! Look at that girl! She's so cute! Ma'am, your child is adorable!"

_Yes, my parents tell me that all the time. Don't come near me._

I heard steady feet jogging towards me. Another set of feet followed.

_This universe must hate me._

"Hi girlie! What's your name?"

Dark brown eyes met violet ones.

_Takeshi Nara was an exception. Even though we made eye contact, I am not going to be friends with you._

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What do you think of Nara Takeshi? I really appreciate reviews, thank you!


	5. CH 5 - Question

I was honestly terrified. I mean, don't get me wrong, I _love_ Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato. They're heroes. They're wonderful people. And most importantly, they sacrificed their lives to protect their son and the village. These two were the kind of people I wanted to have in my life. But I was more scared that I'll ruin _everything_ by being near them. Maybe I'm only overreacting. A little kid like me couldn't possibly cause chaos...oh you know, maybe I could at least afford a slip about the identity of the man in the mask to tweak some stuff.

_No, no, no, dangerous thought there, Haru. Remember, stay out of shinobi's way. These two are shinobi, therefore, __**stay out of the way.**_

Even though I told myself this, my heart still broke just thinking about how wonderful they are and how much better it would be if they stay alive and raise Naruto. Their son goes through so much and it hurts to know this. And right now these two are alive, standing in front of me.

Now my heart _really_ hurt by looking at them. I gulped.

"Haruka," I softly answered her. I hoped no one was seeing my inner terror.

"Ma'am, how old is your daughter?" It wasn't Kushina's bright voice this time. The manly voice was warm and light.

_Please stop asking questions. Please go away._

My mom sounded proud. "She's three".

_Yeah, yeah. Mom. Let's go. Now._

"Minato, I want a kid like that!" The man was now stammering in embarrassment. Her exclamations were almost loud enough to fill the street I pulled myself out of my daze and finally took in the sight before me.

_I'm standing in front of two incredible people who are going to die._

Kushina's flashy long hair was tied up in a high ponytail with strands framing her face. _She's pretty,_ I thought. _Really pretty. And her hair...wow._ The woman was gesturing at me while looking at the future Fourth Hokage. I might've turned pink a little because, ahem, -_cough_-...Namikaze Minato was, uh, _hot_. With his tall, confident yet quiet appearance, deep blue eyes on a good face, and wonderful hair, the guy was the ideal man. The fact that he's the type of prodigy that comes only once in several generations completed his profile. _A man with looks and brains_, I sighed. Yes, so I'm a fan of the Fourth Hokage, who _isn't?_ Together, Kushina and Minato looked awesome decked out in shinobi gear. While I gaped openly at them, my mom started chatting with them about what it's like to raise a first child. I didn't care if my mom was telling them embarrassing anecdotes about me, I continued to be starstruck.

It seemed like hours until the older life beings finally stopped talking to each other. As they walked away, Kushina waved good-bye to me while Minato smiled.

"Haruka! Byeee!"

I mechanically lifted my hand for a farewell. Suddenly I felt impulsive and the words blurted out of my mouth before I could think.

"I like your hair!" Kushina's hand froze for a second.

_Shouldn't have said anything. Stupid mouth. Good job, Haru, you let your stupid mouth have a mind of its own and complimented one of the most important mothers in the history of mothers when you explicitly told yourself not to get involved. What if she tries to get to know you more? I don't want that. Wait, no, I do want that, but I can't risk it._

But I worried for nothing because Kushina simply brightened and yelled her farewell even louder. When they were gone, I touched my face. It hasn't moved from its dumb expression.

_I can't believe that just happened_.

I stayed quiet for the rest of the day and only spoke when dad got home and asked about school. Mom told him about me getting in trouble. My head was in the clouds for the entire evening until after dinner, when dad called me to the living room. He was sitting on the mat floor with arms and legs crossed and had a stern look on his face.

_Am I going to get a lecture about what happened in school today? Because I get that I should still be careful and avoid trouble even if I don't mean to. I didn't think dad would be the one to discipline me in-_

"Haru, we need to talk about this _boy_ you have become friends with today." Dad looked really serious.

I was confused. _Takeshi? It was Hitomi-sensei's ignorance got me in trouble, not Takeshi. Of course, in the first place he shouldn't have tried sleeping in class and paid attention instead. Was dad going to tell me that my new friend is a bad influence?_

"Although I'm sure Takeshi is a good friend, you must _stay_ as _friends_ only and _nothing more_, got it?"

Oh. _Oh._

I was only three and my dad's already worried about boys.

A giggle threatened to burst out, but I saw dad's grim face tighten. After a few seconds of composing myself, I responded in an equally solemn tone to appease him.

"Yes, father."

"Good."

And that was that.

After a month, school became a routine. Arithmetic was easy, hands down. I had slayed that subject in my past life. Actually, it was so easy that I'd be tempted to cry tears of joy or boredom, depending on my mood. In contrast, literature was a struggle because there's. so. much. kanji. Takeshi would always snigger whenever I mispronounced words when reading or speaking. To my dismay I found that I did that often when I talked in a rush or when words came out without me properly thinking about it. This occurrence made me speak slowly or not speak at all for the most part of my childhood. Takeshi would point out my mistakes all the time.

The brat.

Hitomi-sensei said that we would start on a little hiragana in the middle of the year. Really _not_ looking forward to it.

I found geography and shinobi history most interesting. Although I knew about the Naruto manga in my past life, I never got into specifics of the land divisions and borders, climates, or where the hidden villages were located and more. This was the same for its shinobi history. There aren't many 'official' history texts that this world could cite facts from, which is really different than from my world where tons of sources existed for every century since script had been evolved. I kept being skeptical of how reliable Hitomi-sensei's information was because it consisted of Konoha's slightly biased outtake on the shinobi world wars and the Warring Era before that, and Konoha has been around only for roughly fifty years. Existing records before when Konoha was established were even harder to come by since they were either guarded by clans, or hidden away underneath years of rubble in the aftermath of decades of war.

Learning these two subjects was difficult, but not in the same sense of understanding them like literature. Instead, I had a hard time _accepting_ it. Knowing more about this world would just remind me that I'm not supposed to be here, that I'm a trespasser who holds so much information about the future. Hearing Hitomi-sensei teach shinobi history seemed a lot like hearing fairy tales. During her lectures, I'd start wondering if I'm living in a dream or not and these thoughts would induce headaches with a pain ranging from a dull ache to head-splitting. I speculated that a reason why I got these headaches could be that since my brain is still small, a lot of stress, _caused by situations such as coming to terms with living a second life in an another world that was just a manga in my own world_, must be too much for a developing cranium of a three year old. I would try to ignore the pain during class, but Takeshi would catch sight of my pale pinched face and tell Hitomi-sensei, who would then send me to the nurse's room. Because this happened often, along with my slow/nearly nonexistent speech, I became known as the 'sick' or 'troubled child' of my class and among the institution's staff. In addition my mini-migraines, I quickly came to dislike chakra. I originally had been super excited about the entire concept of being able to control energy within myself, but living in this reality made me change my mind to _uh, no_. Although I became accustomed to the chakra in my body, I wasn't completely used to the chakra outside where I lived. The stuff sometimes clouded the air and I'd _feel_ its smoky texture in my lungs and throat when I breathed. On worst occasions, I would be gasping in the middle of class and then Hitomi-sensei would freak out and send me to the nurse's office. She told my parents about these cases, which prompted a trip to the village hospital where I got diagnosed as chakra sensitive, but not severe enough that I'd have to cared for 24/7. My condition as chakra sensitive only reinforced my reputation as the 'coughing kid' at school.

But besides the random asthma-like episodes, I liked school. Although some subjects and classes were tedious because I already knew the material, I valued the familiarity of school work. Of course, I didn't like homework, but I was happy about the assignments since it felt like I was a normal student, or a normal child. It put away thoughts about living a second life.

Another reason why I'm infatuated with school was because of the 'boy', Nara Takeshi, who made it worthwhile.

On one hand, I love him. The kid is adorable like any four-year-old and really fun to talk to. He's blunt, sarcastic, and witty. I'm pleased to say that my kind of slightly quirky humour and sarcasm amuses him too. If he's not willing to be in a conversation, then I'm simply grateful to have company who doesn't feel obligated to talk. We're both comfortable with having periods of silence between us.

However, on the other hand, I'm scared of him. I didn't fully realize it on my first day of meeting him, but I soon discovered that Takeshi was a genius at the borderline of being dangerous. Most would be in awe of his intelligence, but as someone who witnesses his thinking process on a daily basis, I confess that it's greatly intimidating. Takeshi isn't like Shikamaru Nara whose forte, as known from canon, is to analyze and produce amazing strategies. No, instead Takeshi just picks up everything he learns with ease. Where Shikamaru can accurately deduce information from observation, Takeshi takes in whatever gets thrown at him. He doesn't use memorization. Takeshi purely understands all sorts of concepts and applies them in correct situations. He makes mistakes, but his learning curve only increases exponentially as a result. He has the characteristic laid-back calm attitude of stereotypical Naras which helps him think rationally. It's very humbling to admit that yes, _Takeshi literally uses his brain better than me._ His mind is incredibly flexible and his brain basically works in the most efficient way possible. Not only are his mental capabilities terrifyingly outstanding, Takeshi has that certain ruthlessness all unpurposeful insensitive children possess and his words can punch a stomach with harsh truth. With his genius-ness plus his cheekiness, Takeshi can be an infuriating person. He's never directed hurtful words towards me though.

Hitomi-sensei gets flustered when Takeshi targets her. I think part of the reason why she gets embarrassed is because she still hasn't registered Takeshi's intelligence and therefore doesn't expect it. In the same way, our class doesn't bother Takeshi since he actively avoids them and all other kids in the institution. Our classmates started avoiding him too once they found out that he'll only insult them with words they can't understand. If he goes somewhere he always drags me with him. He's pretty cute when he's muttering under his breath about 'troublesome' stuff. For lunch we continued to eat together at the base of the tree outside the building. Sometimes we would talk about random things and other times he'd sleep, using me as his alarm clock. However when I discovered his high intelligence, I clamped my mouth shut around him more often to reduce the possibility of letting something 'slip'. Takeshi isn't particularly sharp to the degree of Shikamaru, but he'll probably piece together enough evidence to recognize that something's off about me. However since he's only four, that shouldn't really happen anytime soon.

Or so I thought.

Half way through the year there was a moment when I was holding back on a topic about shinobi. The subject had never come up during our discussions before and I kind of froze on the spot since Takeshi had brought it up so abruptly.

"Are your parents shinobi?" Takeshi's voice was perfectly nonchalant. Maybe he wanted to sound casual, but I got a little suspicious. We had never mentioned anything about shinobi to each other until now and he wouldn't ask a question without a specific reason.

"Uh, no," I coughed to clear my throat before continuing to answer. I inwardly grimaced. _Ugh, I'm getting into the habit of clearing my throat before talking._ "Dad's a business guy, mom runs a bakery." I looked up and saw Takeshi scrutinizing me.

"Neither of your parents are shinobi? How'd they have a kid like you?" I frowned.

"Hey, that's mean. I'm a good daughter."

"No, no that's not it," Takeshi snapped. "Kids like _you _normally have some shinobi lineage." Now I was really confused.

"Kids like _me_?" I coughed again. "Are you saying that I'm weird?" At this point Takeshi looked irked.

"Are you serious? Of course you're weird, you're not normal."

"Hey!"

"And you don't act your age," he added.

"Well neither do you," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're on a different level. What's the deal?"

Takeshi's eyes were narrowed and suspicious.

I was about to retort with _there is no deal, it's just I've already lived seventeen years in an alternate universe, _but that would be inappropriate to reveal to a four-year-old who was fully capable of blackmail and could turn me in to authorities. He had done a similar deed when he got an older student in trouble a month ago. Takeshi had been in a particularly snappy mood when the older student had tried to pick on him. I later heard that the same student turned himself in for cheating on a recent test. Takeshi had a particularly triumphant look on his face that day. _He could just declare me crazy and avoid me instead of tattling on me, _I mused,_ but that would mean I'd lose my first and only friend I've made so far in this life. Even if he might suspect my weird behavior. Tsk. I should definitely be careful._

"And stop doing that." I broke out of my reverie. Takeshi's face was twisted in slightly childish frustration. "You keep daydreaming as if you go off into another world and you always hesitate on talking like you don't want to share what you're thinking, as if to make people think that you're not as smart as you really are. Don't deny it, I know you hold yourself back on purpose."

_Well, as cute as you are, Takeshi, I would love to talk freely about my thoughts, but I probably shouldn't tell you what I know about the future. _

Playing dumb, I asked, "I hold back?"

The situation would have been funny if Takeshi hadn't blown up. Actually, he snarled, which was his equivalent of blowing up.

"Hold back? Yes, _you hold back_. You purposely put down wrong answers for tests. You keep yourself from talking in front of people, even me, and especially whenever Hitomi-sensei walks around our table. You talk like an adult for one minute and then turn quiet for the next. You know things we haven't been taught in school yet, but you act like you're learning it for the first time. You take your time doing math problem. You don't let people know what you're capable of. _Why_ do you tone yourself down on _everything_?"

I froze.

_This kid. He...noticed?_

At first I panicked. Then I shoved the internal screaming out of my system when I realized that Takeshi was still expecting an answer. I tried to answer nonchalantly.

"Err… is toning down a problem?"

_Please don't overthink it._

Suddenly Takeshi's shoulders sagged.

"No," he grumbled, "I just don't understand why you put up with people like that Hitomi lady." I breathed out a sigh. So he wasn't necessarily questioning _how_ I'm mentally ahead compared to other kids.

_Ah, Hitomi-sensei. Yeah, it's not like I like her either._

I think Hitomi-sensei has a bit of a grudge towards me. While she nearly adores Takeshi, Hitomi-sensei has a different personality especially concerning me. Ever since I've discovered my chakra sensitivity, it's like she labeled me as the one student who always needs help. With _everything_. With homework, classwork, reading, writing, heck I bet she only passes by our table in class to make sure I'm breathing. No, Hitomi-sensei wasn't coddling me. Her 'assistance' is more with the intent to belittle than to help. It's always something like:

"Nobuyuki-san, you don't have to do the entire worksheet if it's too much for your brain" or "Nobuyuki-san, ask Takeshi-san to check your spelling and grammar."

...Okay actually I do need help on my spelling and grammar, but that's not the point. Hitomi-sensei has moved on to using all of the students' first names except for mine. Sometimes I've wanted to yell out against the discrimination and other times I would just stare at her apathetically thinking that her behavior was petty.

_Maybe I'm her personal emotional punching bag._

…

_A half-fifty year old using a three year old as a source of primping self-esteem is super sad._

However all in all, I try to not let her bother me. I found that I could do a lot behind Hitomi-sensei's back without having her catching me since she doesn't expect me to able to do anything.

Besides, I'd rather worry about my mom instead of Hitomi-sensei. Mom's stomach bump has been getting rounder with each passing month and I'm both excited and nervous. Dad shares my excitement and nerves but he's a lot more skittish about it than me. He gets hysterical every time mom moves. It's hilarious.

Mom had already been about two months pregnant when my parents broke the news to me. Now the year was nearing to September and mom's stomach was as round as it's ever been. Almost nine months have passed.

_Mom will probably be going into labor this week or the next_, I thought during school. A couple of days has passed since Takeshi's outburst. He hasn't questioned anything else...yet. I couldn't really care at the moment, I was biting the inside of my lip just thinking about how my mom was alone at home during the day with me at school and dad at work. Her bakery would be closed due to her condition. There would be no one to come for her immediate aid if she needed it. I was drumming my fingers against the table to shake off some tension, but stopped when Takeshi started glaring at me in irritation.

It was after lunch when a faculty worker and my dad stumbled into my classroom. I perked up at the sight of dad, but noticed his expression. He looked like he was in a hurry and in distress. _An expression most associated with nature's calling but no bathrooms in the vicinity,_ I noted. I vaguely heard the worker explaining something to Hitomi-sensei to which she nodded and motioned with her head to where I was sitting. All I could understand from their low mutterings was that I was to be excused from school for the rest of the day.

_Oh goodie, I'm getting out of school early today. _

I barely had time to pack all my stuff into my bag when dad grabbed me and sprinted out of the room. I grinned back at Takeshi's betrayed face as I left with my dad.

_See ya, sucks to suck._

"So, what's happening?" I asked. I honestly had no idea why dad pulled me out of school. We were now outside of the building and in the streets of Konoha. I could barely keep up with dad's swift gait. "And why are we walking fast?"

"Your mom's at the hospital," dad huffed. My eyes bulged in surprise. He paused before adding, "The doctor thinks it's time." I started running, pumping my legs faster. Dad didn't complain and only joined my sprint towards the hospital. We both only had one thought: get to mom _**fast**__._

It wasn't until we got to the hospital when another thought that should have occurred on the day of Takeshi's outburst finally registered to me: _How did Takeshi figure out that I was holding back?_ I shook my head of those worries and focused on the nurse calling for our family name in the waiting room.

"Nobuyuki-san, we'll take you and your daughter to your wife's room."

I swallowed and gripped my dad's hand as we walked through white hallways.

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Hi everyone! Sorry that it's been awhile, but I'm back! So I got a concern about if the love interest for Nobuyuki Haruka is going to be Itachi. You don't have to fret about that stuff, she hasn't even met the dude and plus, she won't think about romance for a long time.

Please leave comments, suggestions, reviews, and helpful critiques! I really love them all :)


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